Some help with this quote from Sri Aurobindo please...?

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

This is a quote from Sri Aurobindo I’ve been struggling to understand.

" One of the unfortunate consequences of silencing the mind through Yoga is that mental control over the desires, AKA our cloak of morality, suddenly disappears! Then one discovers that one is capable of engaging in all kinds of things! One finds dormant hungers rising up unexpected and unchecked, as if one has become the passive instrument for their operation. "
That is confusing to me because I thought yoga and meditation were supposed to help one gain greater mental control over the desires. Can anyone help me understand this seeming contradiction…?

#2

My interpretation: As you dive deep in your mind, things that once were repressed in the unconsciuos may become suddenly conscious, and they would not be easy to handle and experience. They could seem horrible and disgusting. Morality operates in a specific region of our mind, in Freudian terms, under the rule of our “superego”. “Below” it there is repressed, forgotten or preconscious material. Once you enter that “netherworld” moral and ethic codes may lose significance. You may be experiencing stuff under the rule of the “id” (it in latin), who submits to the principle of pleasure, not to that of reason as the ego does. In tantric terms, this experience may be equated to awakening and crossing the Swadhisthana Chakra, the storehouse of all those impressions, desires and archetypes.

IMO it is not so much about gaining control but transcending desires. So you have to experience all that stuff to finally go up beyond.

#3

That’s a good point, makes sense as we are passing through various levels of mind in yoga.

#4

First, when quoting Aurobindo it is helpful to cite the source so that respondents can look at the context of the quote.

Second, you must understand that the second sutra, yogash chitta vritti nirodhah, has several translations AND that Sanskrit does not neatly convert to English - for reasons to numerous to mention.

As I have learned it, the second Sutra imparts that Yoga REQUIRES the stilling of the mind. This is a significant difference than “yoga IS the stilling of the mind”. And while I do not at all pretend to interpret Aurobindo well, especially without the context, one thing is for sure - stilling of the mind is an intermediate step, not a final one.

#5

Thanks InnerAthlete for your insight in the translation. The source is this article by Sri Aurobindo, scroll down to the section Steps Towards Sublimation and read step 3 Aspiration and Devotion, this passage is the source of the quote. Because of the ridiculous rule about posting links only after 15 posts I can’t give you a link, but it’s called Sublimating the Sexual Urge Through Yoga, you’ll just have to google it.

#6

That “ridiculous rule” prevents massive amounts of board spam and I, for one, have found it super helpful.

#7

I’ve looked at the text and unfortunately it’s not cited properly. In fact I cannot ascertain whether the section you are referencing is written by the site author, is taken from The Mother, or comes from Sri Aurobindo.

#8

Think of this quote , " I’m awake "- Walter White, when asked why he wants to produce and sell methamphetamine

#9

[QUOTE=KosmoLeo;84610]That is confusing to me because I thought yoga and meditation were supposed to help one gain greater mental control over the desires. Can anyone help me understand this seeming contradiction…?[/QUOTE]

I’ve never read nor studied Sri Aurobindo however I read your quote and this is what came to mind:
Perhaps “silencing of the mind” refers to “deprograming” whereas religions, cultures and societies tend to judgmentally impose a great deal of programing in an effort to influence the weak minded into positions they determine appropriate, so called “morality”. Yoga tends to deprogram and as this deprograming progresses suppressed/manifested subconscious desires may suddenly arise and be released.

#10

[QUOTE=ray_killeen;84707]I?ve never read nor studied Sri Aurobindo however I read your quote and this is what came to mind:
Perhaps ?silencing of the mind? refers to ?deprograming? whereas religions, cultures and societies tend to judgmentally impose a great deal of programing in an effort to influence the weak minded into positions they determine appropriate, so called “morality”. Yoga tends to deprogram and as this deprograming progresses suppressed/manifested subconscious desires may suddenly arise and be released.[/QUOTE]

That’s a good perspective on this quote, I agree.

#11

I think it was written by Sandeed, the site owner.